Care For My Precious Aurora
by InsufferableInsanity
Summary: Aurora Weasley wasn't like her family. Her skin was too fair, her body too slim. And we mustn't forget the lack of red hair. Aurora wasn't a real Weasley, and there's nothing like being sorted into Slytherin to make that any clearer.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, and none of these characters are mine, except Rory. Quotes and such are all from the first book, **_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_**.**

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

Molly Weasley awoke with a sudden start, her maternal instincts kicking in as she heard a child begin to cry somewhere within the thin-walled cottage. Thinking it was Ronald, her five month old, she quietly sneaked out of bed to the cradle by the door. Seeing the slumbering infant did nothing to alleviate her worries.

Silently creeping out of her bedroom, the crying increased in volume tenfold. It sounded as if were coming from _outside_ the small house.

Her mind fresh with the remembrance of the articles in the Daily Prophet, Molly clenched her wand tightly in her hand as she mustered up her courage and opened the front door.

The welcoming rush of cold air did nothing to ease her shock at the sight her eyes beheld. A small babe, only a few days old at most, laid nestled within a swath of pale pink blankets upon her front doorstop. A small note was tied loosely around it's wrist. With trembling hands, Molly picked up the wailing newborn and cradled the freezing bundle until it quieted into her warm arms with a contented sigh.

Quickly now that the initial shock had worn off, she went back inside. With a wave of her wand the door was locked behind her. Another wave accompanied by a muttered incantation and a silver whisp shot out of the small room with a message. Scampering back to her room, she woke her husband Arthur with a frantic shaking of his shoulders.

"Arthur!" she whispered loudly, all too aware of what she was holding. "Arthur, wake up, I've called Dumbledore!"

The father of her children rolled over onto his stomach with a shake of his head. "'is early," he mumbled incoherently into his pillow.

A nonverbal Stinging Hex woke him with a yelp. "Ow! Molly! What's gotten into you!" he cried, clutching his arm with a wounded look.

A sudden squeal from the object in her arms made him still. "Molly?" he asked dazedly, staring at her bemusedly.

"I . . . I found her on the doorstep, Arthur. She's absolutely freezing cold, and she came with only this." She handed him the note she'd untied.

"Care for my precious Aurora," he read aloud. His bright blue eyes met her in bewilderment. "Signed by N.M. You don't think––"

"I have no idea," she said quietly. "But why us? We barely have the money as is––" She had to stop there, her voice shaking under the force of tears. Arthur gathered her up into his arms. She leaned into his chest gratefully. It seemed that she'd only just wiped away her tears when she heard the tell-tale signs of the Floo Network; a soft _woosh_ when the fire blazed up suddenly, then soft footsteps on the carpet.

Albus Dumbledore, leader of the Light, stood with his wrinkled hands clasped before him, his pale blue eyes twinkling merrily despite the early hour behind half-crescent glasses. He wore a disarmingly bright pink night gown, along with a matching night cap, and his long white beard was braided neatly. He gestured at her with a gentle smile when they entered the sitting room. "Am I correct in believing this is behind such a frantic Patronus, Molly?"

She nodded, a motherly hand absently stroking the small pinkish arm resting against her chest. Arthur handed him the note with his left hand, his other wrapped around Molly's waist comfortingly. The older wizard merely raised an eyebrow before nodding.

"Would you agree to a new family addition?" the grandfatherly man asked her gravely, watching her closely.

Her eyes met Arthur's for a moment before she turned to Dumbledore with a nod. "Yes, of course," she agreed, gazing down at the bundle with a small smile.

The twinkle in those knowing eyes seemed to increase. "Would you allow me to inform the Order of your newest family member?"

Molly hesitated before nodding once more.

"Then I leave you to welcome her to your family." With a wink, he spun on his heel and Disapparated.

That very morning, the Weasley's threw a huge party, showing off the baby to any and all that showed. For that single day, there was no war. There no Dark or Light.

For that one day, all was right in the world.


	2. Ten Years Later

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, and none of these characters are mine, except Rory. Quotes and such are all from the first book, **_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_**.**

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**Chapter One**

**Ten Years Later**

* * *

A thin girl with flowing blonde hair sprinted across the Burrows' freshly cut grass with a sparkling laugh.

"You can't catch me, Charlie!" the girl taunted over her shoulder at her pursuer.

A young man of seventeen followed slowly, his blue eyes watching her run with an almost predatory glint. His red hair shone magnificently in the bright afternoon sun. The eleven year old took no notice of her brothers pace and continued to run forward with a single-minded determination. With a loud sudden _pop_, he'd disappeared and reappeared directly in front of her. Before she'd realized what had happened, she'd already walked straight into her older brothers arms.

With a wail, she beat on his chest. "Cheater! I win by default!"

He laughed and swung her around cheerfully. "You never said I couldn't Disapparate, Rory," he teased. As soon as he set her down she folded her arms and pouted. When his only reaction was another laugh, she stomped away in the direction of the house with a huff.

"Aw––"

"––has our darling baby sister––"

"––been bested by––"

"––Mr. Dragondung?" Identical figures popped out from behind a tree and grinned at her sullen face. She momentarily forgot her anger as she laughed.

"Mr. Dragondung?" she giggled at their nickname for Charlie.

They each threw an arm over her shoulders and smiled at her fondly. The twin on her left, who she thought was George, began to explain.

"Well, you see, dear ol' Char––"

"––is going to be taking on an apprenticeship––"

"––with his pen-pal buddy up in Romania."

"You mean the one that came over for Christmas a few years ago?" Rory asked, trying to remember what the man had looked like. He'd been tall . . . with . . . was it brown hair? No, dark blonde.

The twin on her right, Fred, grinned. "That's the one."

"Simon, I think his name was." George remarked thoughtfully.

Fred rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. "Anyway, Simon offered him a position at a base there––"

"––and we read a few of his letters––"

"––just to make sure we got the whole story of course––"

"––and it seems that he'll be working there for a good part of the year." George mocked-sobbed. "They grow up so fast!"

Rory suddenly saw where they were going with this. "He'll be working with dragons?" she nearly screamed, her good mood plummeting downward.

They both winced, bringing up a hand to rub their ears. "You could give Mom a run for her money, yelling at us like that," Fred admonished. She didn't bother in replying, too busy looking for Charlie. She suddenly spotted him talking to their eldest brother Bill, who worked as a curse-breaker with goblins. Pushing away from the twins, she all but ran to him. He was so busy talking that he didn't see her approach, though Bill glanced at her and smiled. Bill ended the conversation with Charlie only a few seconds before Rory tackled him to the ground, so he was still there to witness the other boys obvious shock. As the curse-breaker turned away with a laugh, she moved her knees on top of Charlies chest and sat back on her legs.

"You're going to Romania?" she demanded, knowing that her eyes were becoming a mysterious silver the more angry she became.

Seeing this, he opened his mouth, no doubt to try to calm her down but she didn't want to hear it. She glared at him with such ferocity that he blanched. "Are you even going to be here to see me off at the station?" Not daring to answer verbally, her brother shook his head.

Abruptly, Rory felt a burning sensation behind her eyes, but she wouldn't cry. Not now. Not in front of him.

She got off his chest and marched away furiously. She went right past her brother Ron, who was flushed and smiling goofily with his hand on an old Cleansweep broomstick, Fred and George, who were now chasing gnomes around shirtless, and Bill, who took one look at her face and backed away from the door fearfully. Trudging through the kitchen, she ignored her mothers concerned questions in favor of stomping up the stairs. Before she'd made it up to her room, however, her third oldest brother Percy opened his door with an irritated growl.

"Keep it down!" the law-abiding git hissed at her before she could react. Pushing him into his room forcefully and slamming his door behind him made her feel marginally better, but it was nothing like hearing his stress-filled scream as she slammed her own bedroom door shut.

Now that she'd successfully removed herself from the rest of her family, she flopped down on her bed and proceeded to cry into her pillow, trying not to care that her mattress creaked with every movement and sloped downward in the middle uncomfortably. She absolutely _hated_ crying, because to her it was like showing weakness. She was smart enough to never let herself cry in front of people, ever since two summers ago when they'd had the annual family gathering and she'd overhead a few cousins on her dad's side talking about her. How she _clearly_ wasn't a Weasley, what with her long blonde hair and fair skin. They'd mocked her to the point of tears, and when they saw her shoulders start to shake, it had only made it worse. Crying didn't help anything. Being angry did.

As soon as she thought about Charlie leaving, she felt a strong flash of betrayal.

He'd _promised_ her at the beginning of the summer that he'd be there as she got onto the Hogwarts Express. The day of her leaving for school was rapidly approaching and she could fell her nerves start to fray the closer if became. Her anxiety tore her stomach to shreds at any thoughts of what people would think of her; the Weasley that wasn't a Weasley. The fact that Percy the Prefect, Ron the Rambunctious, and the stupid Dynamic Duo were going to be there helped absolutely nothing. Charlie was the only family member besides her parents that she trusted, and now . . .

And now she knew that even he wasn't reliable.

After a few hours of reading her second-hand school books, Aurora finally made an appearance at dinner. Except this time she didn't dig in to her meal like her family. Instead, she just watched them as she idly picked at her food; at how loudly they talked, the way they all laughed very noisily, the animalistic way they devoured their food.

_I'm really not anything like them,_ she thought, and felt unmistakably sad. They tried to pull her into the conversation a few times, but Rory really didn't feel like talking about Quidditch. Her stomach was in knots as she thought about what she'd finally realized.

_I bet at school I'll be Sorted into Slytherin,_ she mused dejectedly as she made her way back upstairs. Even as she thought it, a voice in the back of her head said vehemently, _Weasley's don't get Sorted into Slytherin._

_Then I guess it helps that I'm not a Weasley, huh?_ she shot back snidely, and it promptly shut up.

For the next week she remained aloof, detached from everyone. She laughed at the twins pranks, chatted to Dad about his muggle things, and even played some Wizarding Chess with Ron. But she never really felt the oneness that everyone else clearly did.

Charlie left the day before school started. He hugged them all, gave her kiss on the cheek that made her smile genuinely, and then went through the Floo with a flash of green fire. The rest of the day was spent in a blur of packing and unpacking, double checking her list and making sure she had absolutely everything. _Not that it was much,_ she thought to herself silently.

Her mother came upstairs to take her small trunk and put it by the door with the others. Then her Mom really took at good look at her, at the purple smudges under her eyes and the ashen pillar of her fair skin. She tsked and handed Rory a potion, saying "you look like you need some extra help sleeping sweetheart" before tucking her into bed. Aurora quickly downed the potion, coughing at the horrible taste, then relaxed into her worn out pillows with a sigh. As her eyes closed of their own accord, Aurora's last feeling was of her mother kissing her forehead gently.

They woke up extra early the next morning. Rory sat on the couch calmly and watched everyone else scramble around for any things they might've forgotten. Soon enough, they were all getting into a Ministry car that their dad had managed to take for the day. Squished between Percy, who had his owl Hermes on his lap, and Fred, who was whispering to George with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Rory was silent on the way to the station. When they arrived, she followed them with her trolley, staying close behind Bill. Right after Percy and the twins went through the platform entrance, a small boy came up to them.

He had messy black hair and a thin pale face. His eyes were almost hidden completely behind a pair of glasses, and he wore clothes too big for his small frame. He had nothing but a trunk and a snow white owl, no adult anywhere to be seen.

"Excuse me," the boy said politely. Her mom smiled at him.

"Hello, dear," Mom said. "First time at Hogwarts? It's Rory and Ron's first time as well." As she talked, the tension slowly bled out of the small boys shoulders. Rory gave a small wave. He smiled back anxiously.

"Yes," he answered. "The thing is––the thing is, I don't know how to––"

_Ah, muggle-born,_ Rory thought. She felt a surge of sympathy. _He really must be lost._

"How to get onto the platform?" Mom finished his thought kindly. The boy gave up talking and nodded in relief.

"Not to worry. All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, it's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Rory."

"Er––okay," he said, staring at her with wide eyes before taking a deep breath. He pushed his trolley around and looked at the barrier for a moment. He started to walk slowly, then quickly picked up more speed as he ran to the wall. Then suddenly, he was gone. Rory followed his example, and after her was Ron.

The platform wasn't nearly as packed as it usually was, but Rory knew that it wouldn't be long before more people arrived. She waved at Neville Longbottom, a round-faced boy who was nearly in tears, saying, "Gran, I've lost my toad again."

His grandmother, Augusta, rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Oh, _Neville_," she said despairingly.

The twins were already on the train, helping out the black-haired boy put up his trunk. They came out a few moments later after their mother called them. After teasing Ron and Percy, who had already changed into his school robes and pinned his Prefect badge on, they turned to Mom.

"Hey, Mom, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?" They asked, almost bouncing with excitement.

At that moment, Aurora looked over her mothers shoulder and saw the most stunningly beautiful woman she'd ever seen. She couldn't contain her small gasp of shock, but thankfully it seemed no one heard her over whatever the twins where saying.

The woman was tall and pale, with her straight blonde hair pinned back away from her face. She had absolutely flawless white skin and had a very thin figure beneath what appeared to be very expensive robes. She led a small blonde boy that looked to be around her age and a man that walked with a cane. _Though it didn't look like he needed it really,_ she noted. It all looked for show, like the expensive robs and impeccable hair. The woman must've felt her stare burning a hole into her cheek, because she suddenly turned around and looked directly into Rory's eyes.

The world slowed down.

It was like they were having a conversation without words, the way her and Charlie used to be able to. She could clearly read the astonishment on the woman's face, not quite hidden behind the cool mask she was obviously used to adopting. The older woman looked her over quickly, and Aurora did the same to her. Then their eyes met once more, and Rory could see the acceptance there, as well as something she couldn't identify. It was a look she saw her mother give her when she'd gotten her new wand, or when Percy had became a Prefect.

Before she could put a name to it, her mother pushed her toward the train and the connection between the two of them was broken.

She boarded quickly, finding an empty compartment near the end of the train. After she'd put her trunk up, she sat down in the seat nearest the window, laying her head against the glass. The train began to move slowly, and she smiled when she saw her mother, waving at all of her children with a tearful smile.

A few moments later, the compartment door opened and a bushy-haired girl stood there, already in her robes. By her side stood a miserable looking Neville. "Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said pompously, reminding Rory eerily of Percy. Shaking her head, Rory smiled at Neville.

"Hey, Nev," she greeted. It was only then that he seemed to recognize her.

"Rory! How've you been?" he said, his misery sliding away for a moment. They weren't good friends, her and Neville, but she always stood up for him when she saw him being bullied, and Neville always gave her sweets or Herbology books in return.

"I've been good," she answered shortly, her eyes sliding over to the girl.

"My name's Hermione Granger," the girl said holding out her hand. Aurora shook it, noting the name. _Another muggle-born._

"Aurora Weasley," she said in return. Hermione huffed and grabbed Neville's arm.

"Come on then, maybe someone else has seen him." She pulled him away and he went with an apologetic smile. The door slid shut behind them.

Having nothing else to do, Rory changed into her school robes. Only a few minutes later, her compartment door slid open once again, only this time a blonde boy stood there, flanked by two others who greatly resembled boulders. They stared at her with contempt.

"What's your name?" the boy sneered, eying her shabby second-hand robes. She recalled seeing him at the station, with the beautiful woman. Aurora bristled at his tone.

"Aurora Weasley," she stated coolly.

"You don't look like a Weasley," he remarked thoughtfully. Then he said, after looking her over once more, "But you certainly dress like one. Come along, Crabbe, Goyle, we can find a compartment with _suitable_ people." They left.

Rory glared at the door, deciding to blame it for the irrational hurt she felt.

* * *

Aurora woke to a sneering voice saying, "We will be reaching Hogwarts soon. Leave your trunk here, it'll be taken to the school later." Blinking away the bleariness, she nodded to show she understood and heard the door shut in response. She yawned before getting up to stretch, noting the change in daylight. It was dark outside now, and Rory yawned once more before leaving her compartment to find Ron.

He was with the black haired boy from the station. Rory smiled at him and he smiled back. "I never caught your name," she said politely as Ron shoved a Cauldron Cake into his mouth. She eyed the candy littered seats with envy. _For a muggle-born, he's got a a lot of money,_ she thought jealously.

He stuck out his hand. "Harry Potter," he introduced, and she shook his hand. She then realized that he must've been the one the twins had been talking about at the station.

"Aurora Weasley," she said back, even though he already knew her name. She kept her eyes resolutely away from his forehead, instinctively knowing that he wouldn't appreciate her staring. They didn't have time to talk before the train stopped.

They quickly followed the stream of people, and once outside they saw a large giant of a man. His face was mostly covered by his tangled mess of a beard, but when she looked closely she saw his eyes, black as beetles, twinkling gently.

Harry noticed her staring and whispered to her, "That's Hagrid. I met him before I came here. He's really nice." She decided to trust him.

"Firs' years! Firs' year over here! All right there, Harry?" Hagrid called over the sea of heads. Harry nodded with a wide smile. Hagrid beamed before waving a large arm around. "C'mon, follow me––any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

They followed Hagrid down a steep, narrow path. The only light was from Hagrid's lamp, and Rory heard Neville sniffle a few times. _Neville hates the dark,_ she remembered, and stuck a hand out in his direction. He started with a yelp, which made some of the students laugh. It was dark enough that they wouldn't be able to see her holding his hand, though, and she felt him relax and squeeze it back.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," Hagrid called, "jus' round this bend here." Rory let go of Neville hand instantly.

Everyone gave a loud "Oooooh!" She wanted to snort at how much they sounded like owls.

The path had opened onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid shouted, and they all flocked to the boats sitting in the water by the shore. Aurora found herself in a boat with Neville and two identical girls, obviously twins. As soon as they were all seated, they boat went off all at once. Everyone was eerily silent, all staring in awe at the castle overhead. When they docked at the other side, passed a dark tunnel and seemingly underneath the castle, they all clambered out.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" Hagrid asked after checking the boats.

"Trevor!" he cried thankfully, holding out his hands for him, making people laugh.

Then they followed Hagrid up onto a rock passageway until they reached a huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" Neville cooed at Trevor in response, making Rory giggle. Hagrid knocked three time on the castle door. It swung open immediately.

A tall, black-haired witch donned in emerald green robes stood there, looking at them all sternly. Aurora fought not to roll her eyes. _So this must be Professor McGonagall,_ she thought, remembering her brothers account of the Transfiguration teacher.

Hagrid waved a hand at them, almost knocking a few of them onto their back. "The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," he introduced. Rory smirked. _Knew it._

"I"ll take them from here. Thank you, Hagrid."

The door opened wide. They entered slowly, taking in the stone walls and floating torches. The ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors. They followed Professor McGonagall into a small chamber, just past two large doors. Rory guessed that everyone else was already seated, if the voices drifting out were anything to go by.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the Professor said. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be like your family. You will have classes with them, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The fours houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the yer, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

She took at moment to look at all the small faces looking up at her, lingering on Rory and someone else behind her. She tried not to get angry.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly." Then she left.

Turning to Neville, she quickly straightened his robes. When she was satisfied, she went to look at Ron's face, but Hermione had already beat her to it.

"Ron, you have a bit of dirt here, on your nose," the girl said, and Ron flushed. He licked his finger and scrubbed at it violently. Everyone else were speaking in low voices to each other, but Rory didn't feel like talking. In fact, her stomach was in so many knots at the thought of what was about to happen that she was surprised her breakfast didn't come up. She noticed Ron's nervous, pitiful glances at her, and tried not to wince. _Will he still look at me like that after I'm Sorted?_ she wondered. _Or will he refuse to talk to a snake?_

The thought made her sad.

When the ghosts appeared, it seemed like her and Ron were the only two not to jump. They had a ghoul living in the basement, and were used to it. Harry, on the other hand, looked terrified. When the ghosts tried to talk to them, nobody knew how to answer. It was a great relief when Professor McGonagall came back. She shooed the ghosts away before telling them to form a line. They did quickly, and with a sharp nod she indicated that they were to follow her.

They walked in single file right through the the double doors into the Great Hall. If she'd been feeling better, she would've been awed by the sheer size of the room. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the stars, and thousands of lit candles floated patiently above their heads. There were two tables on each side of them, and every person watched their entrance with interest. At the top of the hall was a long table where all the teachers sat, and that's where Professor McGonagall led them. She placed a stool in front of the group, on top of which she placed an old pointed wizard's hat. It began to sing, telling them about all of the houses, and then it silenced.

After the applause died down, Rory heard Ron whisper to Harry, "So we've just got to try on the hat! I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll." She couldn't contain her small laugh.

Professor McGonagall stepped forward holding a scroll of parchment. "When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she instructed. "Abbot, Hannah!"

And so the Sorting began. Hannah got sorted into Hufflepuff, a table on the right that were clapping like mad. Susan Bones was sorted into Hufflepuff also. Then Terry Boot was put into Ravenclaw with Mandy Brocklehurst. Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers. Rory laughed at the twins cat-calls despite her nerves.

Millicent Bulstrode then became a Slytherin, and Fred and George booed rather loudly before they were shushed by an irate Percy. Justin Finch-Fletchley was sorted into Hufflepuff, before Seamus Finnigan became a Gryffindor, and then it was Hermione's turn. The hat shouted a loud "Gryffindor!" and she nearly skipped the table. After that she stopped paying attention to names, only listening to the different sounds in the room. She only started paying attention when "Potter, Harry' was called and the small boy walked forward. Instantly whispered broke out in the hall.

"_The_ Harry Potter?" she heard someone hiss, and nearly scoffed. _No, he's another Savor by the same name,_ she thought sarcastically. After a long moment of silence, the hat shouted "Gryffindor!" It looked like Harry nearly melted into the stool with relief. Her brothers were shouting out loudly, "We got Potter! We got Potter!" Then suddenly it was like they were being called twice as fast. It seemed that in no time at all she was being called up. She took a deep breath, looked at Ron reassuringly, and walked up to the stool. When it was placed on her head, she was surprised to hear it talk.

"Weasley, eh? You're not like the rest of your family. Oh you've got some Gryffindor in you, I'll give you that, but I think we both know what would be the best place for you." Dimly, she noticed that the hall had become silent, and that her entire body was shaking. "Better be––Slytherin!"

When the hat was lifted off, she looked over at the Gryffindors. The twins identical stricken expression and Percy's disdain was too much for her. She turned away from them quickly and strode to the only table clapping, sitting down in an empty sit next to Pansy Parkinson.

_Well, this is going to be an awful year,_ she thought as a green-faced Ron was sorted into Gryffindor. Another boy named Blaise Zabini was sorted into Slytherin, and he sat next to her. Then Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and put away the Sorting Hat.

Albus Dumbledore, the schools Headmaster, got to his feet. "Welcome!" he shouted. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are for you: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!" As he sat down people laughed. An ugly boy down further down the table snorted.

"He's off his rocker, old Dumbles. I reckon he hasn't got much longer," he said unpleasantly. Before she could respond, food appeared on the table. She ate slowly, hardly able to stomach anything at all. After a sharp look from Malfoy, the blonde boy from the train, she sat up straighter and took her elbows off the table. Mentally rolling her eyes, she copied the other students at her table, who were all eating meticulously. People were talking to each other, sharing stories and such about their holidays, but Rory didn't talk to anyone. She still felt rather sick at the memory of her brother's faces.

Blaise nudged her. "You're not a real Weasley, are you?" he asked her quietly. She sighed.

"Is it that obvious?" she said sarcastically. He chuckled.

"I could write to my mother about finding your real parents," he said even quieter. She stiffened before glaring at into green eyes.

"I don't really want to know," she said coolly. He backed off with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, now that we've got that out of the way . . ." he joked. "What's it like living with so many people?" he asked curiously. She felt herself relax and start to get into the conversation. Before she even realized it, the feast was over and Dumbledore was warning them about the Forbidden Forest and the third-floor corridor.

They were all led away, single file, down to the dungeons. They were the only house that left so organized; everyone else was pushing and shoving at each other to get by. The wend down many staircases, not talking to one another. Rory knew that the first years where only trying to remember the way they were going, exactly what she was doing. After awhile, they reached a wall.

"Mudblood," the horrible boy from before growled at it, and it swung open. Aurora couldn't contain her gasp at the word, and Theodore Nott, a small boy with gray eyes, looked at her sharply. She bit her lip and shuffled in with everyone else. The ugly boy waved an arm around. "Girl's dormitory to the left; boys, to the right. Make sure to have a goodnight sleep. Professor Snape likes to give the Firsties a nice welcoming speech." With another grotesque smile, he left.

The thought of being in a warm bed was inviting, and she could see the idea was going through everyone elses heads. The ones who knew each other said goodnight, while the older years stayed down and chatted in the chairs around the fire. She only looked around her new room for a moment, long enough to figure out which bed was hers, before she drew the curtains and was out like a light.

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**Review please! All helpful criticism is welcomed! Tell me what you like, what you don't, what I should do for the next chap. and so on.**

**Come on, pleeeeeaaaasssse? I squeal like chipmunk every time I see a new review. :3**


	3. The First Day

**Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, and none of these characters are mine, except Rory. Quotes and such are all from the first book, **_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_**.**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**The First Day**

* * *

Aurora woke to someone shaking her shoulders roughly. Thinking it was Charlie, she rolled over and pushed away the person without opening her eyes. "'is too early Char," she slurred into her pillow.

"I don't know who you think I am, but First Years are to be down in the commons in ten," a cool voice sneered, and Rory instantly bolted up. The previous day flooded her mind; the train ride, the Sorting, the feast . . .

"I'm so sorry!" she cried out to Pansy Parkinson, the girl who she'd pushed. "I thought you were my brother!"

The other girl merely turned away. Stung, Rory avoided the curious eyes of her dorm mates and gathered up her clothes. She meekly went into the bathroom and got ready, not taking the time to do much besides shower and brush her hair. She finished quickly and managed to make it in time to follow everyone else to the common room.

A tall man paced in front of the fire. He wore a long billowing black cloak and had chin length black hair. His shadow stretched across the low-ceiling menacingly, making the skulls on the walls appear even more disturbing. As soon as everyone had sat down in front of him, he stopped pacing and turned to them directly.

Now that she could see him properly, she had to fight back her inclination to flinch when his black gaze fell on her. _This must be Professor Snape,_ she thought silently, remembering her brothers telling her about the schools Potions Master.

The man drew up to his full height and sneered at them all. "I'm here to…_welcome_ you to Hogwarts," he said with a small dark smirk. "Instead of like the other houses, which have no doubt left their new first years to run rampant, I enjoy laying down a few ground rules." His black gaze surveyed the small faces. No one dared move. "You are Slytherins. Slytherins are known for their power and cunning. You _survive_ and you do it with skill. I have no doubt that outside of this room, you will be met with suspicion and fear. You must not buckle under the pressure.

"First and foremost, outside of this room, all of you must act as one. House unity is imperative. They will try to tear us apart from the inside, and you must not let them be successful. If a fellow Slytherin is in danger or in need of assistance, you are to assist them. Be it school work, projects, sports, or duels, you will aid them if they require it.

"Second, you are to _act _like a Slytherin. You must have proper manners at all time, and robes that at the very least fit, and are of half-way decent quality." He glanced at her second-hand robes for a second before moving on. Her back straightened. "If you need any help purchasing such things, ask me directly later on during the day." She breathed silently in relief. "Now, if you ever require any help, go to your Prefects; Marcus Flint," he indicated the ugly boy from the day before, "and Matilda Kempt," an average size brunette with piercingly cold blue eyes. "Any questions?" he finished, glaring down his nose at them. No one spoke. "Then now we can go down to breakfast." He swept out the room with his cloak making an impressive _swoosh_.

Marcus Flint and Matilda Kempt immediately snapped at everyone to get into a single-file line. Within a few moments, they were all walking to the Great Hall for breakfast. They were the first there, and so got a better pick of food. When the other houses began to flood in, the Prefects passed out pieces of papers to each person. One was the class schedule, and the other was a list of proper Slytherin conduct and rules. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Aurora turned to Theodore Nott, who was sitting beside her.

"I'll never remember all of this," she said quietly, pointing at the conduct page.

He leaned closer. "All you have to do is remember to sit straight, keep your elbows off the table, and not eat like your brothers," he whispered. She giggled.

"They do eat like animals don't they?" she agreed with a laugh.

Their first class was Transfiguration with McGonagall. The strict woman stared down her nose at them as she snapped at them to begin their notes. It was only at the end of class that she passed out matches with instructions on how to turn it into a needle. Rory was the first to get it right, earning a slightly softer expression from the older woman, with Draco Malfoy in close second. Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed as her gaze flitted between the two.

Restraining the urge to roll her eyes, Aurora turned to her partner, Daphne Greengrass. "Honestly, with the way she'd been talking you'd think this would be difficult," she said derisively. She paid no attention to the other girls glare.

After Transfiguration they had Astronomy, taught by Professor Sinistra. Most of them were late to class, having no idea where the Astronomy Tower was. The older woman merely waved a hand. "But now that you know, my dears, you can be sure not to be late again," Professor Sinistra said when they were all seated. In that class they learned about planets and what the placement of the earth in relation to another planet meant. Aurora fought to keep her eyes open the entire class. _Honestly, what did knowing this help?_

They had a quick lunch break then they were off to double Herbology with the Ravenclaws. First years where only allowed in greenhouse one and Professor Sprout taught them about all the different dangerous herbs, plants and trees that there were. Then it was dinner, which was a different matter altogether.

Rory felt her stomach drop at the sight of red hair. She'd stubbornly avoided all thoughts of her brothers the entire day, and now she'd have to see them all, sitting together at the Gryffindor table. She allowed herself to fall behind from the main group. Instead of following them, like she should have, Rory made her way back to the Dungeons.

_Why did my parents adopt me when it's more than clear they couldn't afford another child?_ She asked herself._ Why couldn't I have red hair and a temper, instead of being a logical blond? Who are my real parents? Are they dead? If they aren't, why did they give me away? _And a new one, _Why do Draco Malfoy and I look so much alike?_

Shaking her head, she glared at the wall before saying the horrible password. As soon as it opened she ran up to her dormitory and pulled out her favorite book from her trunk. She read until she heard voices, signaling the end of dinner. Then she placed her book under her pillow and headed downstairs.

"Excuse me, where's Professor Snape's office?" she asked an older pale blond. She followed the direction the blond pointed out, and soon found herself outside Professor Snape's room.

She took a deep breath and knocked on the door before her nerves deserted her. A moment later, a sharp voice snapped for her to enter. She did quickly.

Looking around for a moment, she took note of many cabinets filled to the brim with vials of all shapes and sizes. Then she turned her head to look at her Head of House. The door closed behind her.

"I need help buying new school supplies, sir," she said quietly, but had no doubt that he would hear. She purposely avoided saying only clothes, because she really had no idea if she was supposed to have new books as well. She stood straighter and met her professor's gaze. He sat straighter in his chair in response, if possible.

"I see," he drawled silkily. She fought hard to tap down her immediate flare of anger. She tried to ignore the feeling of his judgmental eyes on her. The silence stretched longer.

"I'll make an appointment at Madame Malkin's for this upcoming weekend," he announced suddenly, his voice making her jump. She turned from her inspection of his bookcase to nod.

"How will this be paid for, sir?" she asked. His black eyes narrowed.

"School funds," he sneered.

She nodded to herself. "Right. Can—can you not tell my parents about this?" The horrible expressions on her brothers' faces haunted her. She didn't even want to think about what they'd look like when they saw her with brand new robes. The crushing feeling in her chest would probably kill her.

Professor Snape stared at her. "Since you're circumstances are a bit…_strange_…I won't inform your guardians of this trip, per your request," he said. She breathed in relief. "I expect you to be outside my door and ready to go at 7 a.m sharp this Saturday morning," he ordered. He waved his hand and the classroom door opened.

Aurora recognized a dismissal when she saw one. She left without another word.

She was lost.

Somehow on her way to the common room, she'd made a wrong turn, and now she was in a dark and unrecognizable corridor deep in the dungeons. Her feet hurting from walking so long, and her stomach growling, she leaned heavily against the cold stone wall. She slid down it until her bottom hit the ground, then curled up into a small ball.

"I'm a failure," she whispered to her knees. Tears rose and fell down her cheeks as sudden despair gripped her. "All I've ever wanted is to be like everyone else. I'm so pathetic I can't even find the commons." She choked back a sob.

_You knew that you would be sorted into Slytherin before we even got here!_ A voice in her head soothed. _Why is it so difficult to deal with now?_

"Because my family will shun me. Without them, I have no one," she answered out loud. Her voice echoed down the empty hall.

She wiped her face on her shirtsleeve and forced herself to stop crying. Crying is weakness. She took a deep breath before rising to stand. It took her an extremely long time to retrace her steps back to professor Snapes' office. From there, she could find the way to the Dungeons.

"Mudblood," she said to the wall. She slid inside.

The common room was nearly deserted, with only a few people scattered around. As she passed by what she thought was an empty chair, a voice said, "Where have you been?"

She jumped and spun around, hand over her heart. "Merlin, Theo, you'll give me a heart attack!"

The small boy smirked, having popped out from behind the chair. Now that she looked, she noticed the pile of books and parchment on the floor. "Have you been studying all night?" she asked. Theo shrugged.

"Yeah, so?" he challenged. She raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet. "So I'll ask you again. Where were you? You weren't at dinner, and Zabini was looking for you for hours. He'd still be driving all of us crazy if Draco hadn't sent him to bed."

Unexplainable warmth exploded in her chest. She turned away before he could see the rising tears. "Well as you can see, I'm fine." She mentally congratulated herself for sounding unaffected. When she turned back, he was looking at her solemnly.

"You can't avoid them forever," he said quietly. She huffed.

"I can try," she said. His pale lips twitched.

"Come on. Let's get to bed," he said eventually. He turned to the mess on the floor and pulled out his wand. _"Diminuendo_," he said, and the entire stack shrunk. He pocketed them and turned to her. Rory's expression must've been priceless, because it made him grin.

"How did you…" she began. "How…That's second year––"

He chuckled. "Maybe if you weren't off getting lost, I'd have time to teach you."

She flushed with embarrassment. "Shut up."

His laughter followed her as she marched toward to girls' dormitory. Entering quietly, she saw that everyone was already asleep. Changing quickly into her night clothes, she lay down and closed her eyes.

She regretted that later.

_Her family all sat closely at the dining room table in their home. They talked and ate at the same time, which normally would've made her wrinkle her nose, but today it only made her homesick._

_"Guys!" she called, smiling. Ron looked up with a sneer._

_"Oh look. A Slytherin," he spat. Her heart lodged itself into her throat. All talking ceased. Everyone's eyes turned toward her._

_"A Slytherin?" her mother cried, "No child of mine would ever be a Slytherin!"_

_The twins growled in unison, their eyes like ice. "Traitor," Fred snarled._

_"No good snake!" George agreed._

_Her father looked at her regretfully. "You should've never been born, Rory. You make everything more difficult."_

_Breathing quickly, tears blurring her vision, she turned to Charlie._

_"I'm still me!" she cried. "Tell them Char!" But her older brother merely looked at her coolly._

_"You remember what we do to snakes, Rory?" he asked conversationally. Her breath caught. No. This couldn't be happening. But she didn't fight when Bill and Percy each grabbed an arm and pulled her_ _outside. "We cut off their heads." Suddenly she was on the grass, unable to move. Her family stood above her, watching as Charlie raised his wand at her exposed neck._

"Sectumsempra!_" he hissed, and her world was nothing but pain._

"Ahhh!" she screamed, clutching her neck. Finding no injury, she gulped in air readily. Her stomach heaved and she sprinted to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet fast enough to throw up her breakfast.

A set of hands held her hair away from her face delicately. More dabbed a cool moist towel on her reddened cheeks. Aurora slumped against the wall exhaustedly, her body shaking with the force of her sobs.

"H-he was going to kill me!" she cried hysterically.

"Shh…" a smooth voice soothed. "Don't worry. Just go to sleep."

Her eyes slipped shut of their own accord. "Wait!" she objected, trying to keep awake. "I don't want to have another nightmare!"

"I'll protect you," the unknown girl vowed. With that, Aurora's eyes shut and the dark welcomed her with open arms.

She woke up in her bed hours later previous dream long forgotten. Everyone was still asleep in their beds. She crept out of her bed long enough to grab her book bag. She spread out her textbooks on the bed and started on her Transfiguration essay, _The Basics of Transfiguration._ By the time she was done with all three pages, some of her dorm mates had woken up.

"Feeling better?" a familiar smooth voice asked. Opening the curtains, Aurora was shocked to see Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode.

Rory's eyebrows furrowed before she remembered. "Oh! Yes, I feel much better now," she answered, a light blush finding its way onto her cheeks. Pansy's previous disdain over her the prior morning seemed to be completely forgotten. Instead, it seemed she was amused by Rory.

"You had Blaise in a right mood yesterday," Millicent said. She scoffed.

"I barely know him! Why is he so worried about me?"

"I guess we all are," Pansy commented. "What with your family and all. We thought they'd kidnapped you to their tower."

Oh. Well. When you said it like that…"I went and saw Professor Snape about new robes then got lost."

"You got in real late, ya know," Millicent said. Rory sighed.

"I know. Theo ambushed me last night."

"And you can't just skip dinner like that. It's a wonder that you were sick at all with an empty stomach," Pansy fretted.

Rory rolled her eyes in response. "Why do you care?" she asked.

They shared a look before sighing together. "You talk in your sleep," Pansy said vaguely. Aurora stiffened. "Don't worry! The other girls sleep like the dead." That made her relax slightly, but she still wondered about what she could do to fix that. Maybe ask Theo about silencing charms?

"Come along girls," Pansy said arrogantly, a complete 180 to her earlier attitude, a few moments later. "Our breakfast awaits." Rory noticed Millicent rolling her eyes behind Pansy's back and held back a laugh. Both girls followed her up to the Great Hall.

"Where were you?!" a familiar voice screamed a split second before Aurora was tackled into a hug. "I was so worried!" Patting Blaise's back soothingly, Rory tried to pull away. He only gripped her tighter.

"Can't breathe––" she choked and he immediately released her.

"Sorry sorry!" he apologized quickly. "But really, where were you?" Sighing, she told him about her getting lost. By the end of it, he was grinning.

"We should make you a map," he suggested as he piled pancakes onto his plate. After a sharp glare form Pansy, she began to do the same to her own plate.

Theo snorted from his seat across her. "Shall I begin the rough draft?" he teased.

She smirked. "Shut it."

They all talked about normal things; Quidditch, _"I wonder when lessons start…"_, Transfiguration, _"McGonagall is such a _bitch_!"_, and Gryffindors. The last topic made her uncomfortable, so she sat picking at her bacon. Owls came in to deliver mail, and to her surprise and dismay she found she had four letter, each from a family member. She stuffed them in her pocket to look at later, ignoring her new friends curious glances.

The day went by similar to yesterday, only this time she sat with Pansy or Millicent each class, with Blaise, Theo, and Draco Malfoy taking turns sitting around her in a protective circle. Half of her was perfectly content with being guarded, but the other half was upset by their assumption that she couldn't take care of herself. She was _not_ a delicate flower, even if she did feel like one.

The letters felt like they were burning a hole into her pocket. Each time she brushed against them her mood plummeted.

She caught her first look at her brothers that night at dinner. Surrounded by her fellow Slytherins, she stared at Ron's head as he whispered furiously with Harry. Further down were Fred and George, mid-story about something or another and making several people laugh. At the very end was Percy, sitting with his girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater.

At one point the twins looked over at the same time and met her eyes. Their smiled immediately dropped.

At least they aren't glaring, she thought, averting her eyes. She pushed away her half-eaten plate.

A pale hand placed itself on her arm. She looked up and saw Draco staring at her solemnly. "I'll walk you back," he said.

"Maybe I should––" Blaise began to object, but Draco cut him off.

"I'm done eating, he assured. "So I'll walk Aurora back." It was the first time he'd ever said her first name.

She avoided everyone's eyes as she rose, but she knew people stared s they walked out together. She could hear them too; the whispers following her like they did Harry.

"They could be twins!"

"They're nearly identical!"

"Same height and everything––"

"What's her name again? Aurora––"

"_She's_ a Weasley? Must be adopted."

"It explains the robes––"

Then they were outside the Great Hall and heading toward the Dungeons. Rory lagged behind, pride wounded by their harsh words. Draco glanced back irritably.

"Hurry up!"he snapped. She glared at him.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she yelled back.

"Don't tell me what to to tell you!" he shouted.

"Shut up, Malfoy! I don't need your help!" She marched past him.

"Oh no you don't!" he warned. "Zabini will have my head if you get lost again."

She growled in frustration. "Go _away_, Malfoy!"

"No." Suddenly he was beside her. "I'd rather _not_ be hexed by your friend because you're an irritating twat!"

"Well you're an insufferable git!"

"Ms. Weasley!" a sharp voice scolded.

They both turned. Standing behind them was Professor McGonagall, and behind _her_ was her house, obviously leaving dinner. They all except four stared at them with amusement.

"What do you two think you're doing?" the older woman admonished. They both studied the floor. "Go to your dormitories. Consider this your one and _only_ warning."

They both scampered away, herself in disbelief that they'd been let off so easy. Draco glared at her.

"This is all your fault!" he hissed. "If you had just kept your ungrateful mouth shut––"

Those words hit too close to her own insecurities for comfort. "Shut _up_, Malfoy! You're nothing but a spoiled brat!"

Malfoy opened his mouth then shut it with a strange expression. He stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. When did nothing else but stare Rory rolled her eyes and began to walk away.

"Yes I look like you, Malfoy," she called over her shoulder. "No need to be so shocked."

He fell in step behind her. "Aren't you the slightest bit curious as to _why_ we look so alike?" His previous anger was gone, all she could hear was honest curiosity.

She snorted. "Don't tell me you actually want us to be _related_," she scoffed.

"Surely it wouldn't hurt to find out."

She stopped walking and spun around. Draco's eyes were bright.

"And if we are?" she asked. "What then? I don't want to meet my biological parents. They gave me up because they didn't want me."

"So you know who they are?"

Inwardly cursing her slip, she growled. "No, and I don't want to know. It's bad enough being a Slytherin. What if my parents are really dead? What if they aren't and willingly gave me up? It's better not knowing."

He didn't say anything. When they reached to the common room he went straight to the couch in front of the fire. Aurora sprinted up to her dorm and leapt onto her bed. She drew her curtain closed before emptying her pockets of the letter.

_You can do this. You're_ not _a coward. It's just a letter,_ became her new favorite mantra.

Ignoring how badly her hand shook, she picked up the top letter. _Bill first_, she decided. She opened it quickly with her thumb and smoothed it out.

_Dear Rory,_

_Well that's good,_ she thought. _At least he'd using my nickname. _

_I got a letter yesterday from a very distraught Percy, _it continued.

_Percy?_ Her eyebrows furrowed. Percy was the last one she would've thought would tell.

_I suspect it was really the twins forcing him to write an official letter of outrage._ Rory laughed.

_It's unbelievable, the way they were talking. It's not like you've changed because of your house. Hell, my best friend during my school years was a Slytherin. _

_Keep your head high, Princess. They'll come around._

_Love,_

_Bill_

She smiled at his name for her. Princess Aurora. His added tidbit about his friend, Ethan, certainly explained her mother's initial dislike over him.

Lighthearted over his easy acceptance, she picked up the one sent by her dad.

_Dear Rory,_

_I'm sure you'll be getting this with your brothers letters. They're off their rocker with worry (that's a muggle expression!). After getting a formal letter of outrage form Percy, I knew I'd have to talk to you._

_I'm always here for you, sweetheart. I couldn't care less about your house. You're my daughter no matter what. Always remember that._

_With love,_

_Your Dad_

Her smile threatened to split her face in half. Her mothers letter was much the same, only with more rants about how out of line the boys had been. Then only Charlie's was left.

_Dear Princess,_

_It's taking all of my self control to not go there and beat my little brothers into a bloody pulp. They're complete assholes, baby. They don't deserve to breathe the same air as you. You tell me if they give you any shit, and I''ll be there to set them straight._

_Keep my updated._

_Your favorite,_

_Charlie_

Any suspicious that her family didn't love her was completely erased. The ones that _mattered_ did, and that's all that she cared about.

Her friends looked up from their books on the floor at her entrance. They seemed taken aback by how cheerful she was, but she just couldn't stop smiling. Even Malfoy's cool attitude wasn't enough to bring her down.

She floated on air for the next few days, barely paying any attention to her classes. Her friends didn't try to stop her, but she felt her happy bubble pop when a crow swept into her dorm room while she was searching for her sleeping gown. She took the letter it offered with a confused noise and proceeded to open it as the bird swept away again.

_I've been informed that it is customary to sleep in on weekends, so take this rare opportunity and rest well. You will be expected outside my office at 9 a.m. tomorrow morning. _

There was no signature, though she reasoned that their didn't really need to be one. Sighing, she set it down and rubbed her arms. She'd forgotten about the appointment, too immersed in her own happiness, but now reality set in. She'd still have to keep up appearances, and she'd never been so disappointed to buy clothing in her life.

Her only hope was that she'd fit in afterwards.

**After posting this I got a bad case of writer's block. I freaking hate when that happens! :( **

**PM if you have any questions or anything because who knows, your review might give me some new ideas. :)**


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